1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to logos used on products, and more particularly to a logo assembly that automatically orients itself to a horizontal position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers and other products commonly include a logo to indicate the manufacturer and/or model of the unit. The logo is firmly attached to the unit, usually by some form of adhesive or by direct printing. The logo can be directly printed on the unit, may be on a clear or colored tape or film or can be on a more substantial material such as a small piece of plastic or metal. The logo is located and oriented so that it is readily visible to the causal observer.
When the computer or other product is located in an office or other environment where space saving is desired and can be configured for an individual, the unit may be installed in various orientations. For example, a desktop computer may be installed in a horizontal orientation if located on or under a desk but is often installed in a vertical orientation if located next to a desk. Computer manufacturers have addressed this difference in installations by providing computers that can be readily installed in either manner. For example, the Compaq(copyright) Deskpro(copyright) EP computer series is designed to switch from desktop to minitower configurations. The user just slides the external drives (floppy and CD-ROM) out of the chassis, rotates them 90 degrees and slides them back in. The unit can then be placed in the desired orientation.
While this flexibility in design is very useful to the user, it creates problems with the logo. The logo is permanently affixed to the front bezel. In the example of the Deskpro(copyright) EP, the logo is attached to be read in a horizontal position. However, when the unit is rotated to the minitower or vertical orientation, the logo is now vertical and not easily read by an observer. The manufacturer could provide a different front bezel for the alternative orientation, but this would not be cost effective. Alternatively the logo could be made removable, but then the logo might be lost completely.
Therefore it would be desirable to have a logo that automatically adjusts for the orientation of the product so that it is always visible to the observer at the desired orientation.
The present invention provides a self-orienting logo assembly so that the logo is always in a horizontal orientation. In one exemplary embodiment, the logo is located on a disk. The disk is weighted or otherwise designed to have its weight distributed nonuniformly. The disk is located inside a housing. The housing is attached to the computer or other equipment bearing the logo. When the housing is located in a vertical plane the disk rotates to allow the logo to remain horizontal. The disk can be rotationally mounted to the housing or can be suspended in liquid.
In another embodiment, the disk includes a magnet incorporated so that when the disk is in a horizontal orientation it can act as a compass. In another embodiment, a portion of the disk is removed and the housing contains an additional logo or wording. Rotation of the disk covers or exposes the additional logo or wording.